Sunday 17 July 2011

Jane Austen 90's vs 00's : Sense & Sensibility



One of my most treasured movies of alllllllllll time. I love Emma Thomson's 1995 adaptation is heartfelt, funny and utterly compelling! Its won so many awards at the BAFTA's and the Oscar's. Kate Winslet was great as Marianne, her daily life was driven by her emotions in a society that encouraged young ladies to hide them. She manages to express herself in such away that you laugh with her rather than at her. With the book I found myself wanting to shake her and say, 'get a grip'. But in this adaptation all I can do is clutch a pillow and morn her loss. The scene where she is walking in the rain is the most dramatic scene ever. I have walked in the rain and I have never looked glamours or romantic, but Ms Winslett manages to do it and I take my hat off to her.

Alan Rickman plays the dignified Colonel. He's the knight in shining armour that is pushed aside and is forced to watch from the shadows. Basically he is = love.

You don't have to be a fan of Austen fan to like this movie.  I've just seen a review of this movie on ew.com and the reviewer has complained that Thompson was to old to play Miss Dashwood. Well yes she was, but she was deliberately cast so modern audiences could understand and relate to the difficulty of finding a husband  after a certain age. So shut ya face haters!



The 2007 adaptation falls on its face and fails to evoke any of the warmth or irony that 1995 adaptation did. If I had to describe this Tv movie in one word it would be 'blue!'. That was the only color I could associate with this film. It just seemed as if they had drained all other colors out and left the only depressing one left. Marianne in this version is more subdued and at the end is tamed like a'horse'. She looses all interesting aspects  of her character when she goes off and marries Brandon. I didn't even get excited about the sword fighting, I just didn't care enough to get excited.  Elinor is just plain and boring. Willboughy is not convincing as a handsome cad more like a self pitying boy who doesn't know who to blame for his predicament. What was Alan Davis thinking by adding a sex scene at the beginning.The key to all Austen films is to leave sex out of it and let the eyes do the flirting! The only good thing about this adaptation was Edward's character not only did he do a great job of becoming the slightly lazy care free gentlemen he is incredibly good looking.

But apart from that there is nothing to recommend this film. The 1995 wins hands down.

2:1

Jane Austen's 00's vs 90's : Persuasion

I know, I know, I know  I promised to do  a list of music but this really must take precedence over it. This passing few weeks I have let my obsession of  fiction of the 19th century literature consume me body and soul. Not a day has gone by that I have not watched or read something that hasn't been originally written by Austen, Bronte or Gaskell. It is very very sad  I know, but there is something about them has taken over me.

It might be the sexual tension in a simple handshake or the fact that you have to watch 6 episodes before anyone reveals their feelings. I like the politeness, the bonnets and the courtesy that everyone has for each other. Either way I'm hooked.

During my addiction I have managed to stumble upon the newer versions that the BBC has provided for Austen's 'Sense & Sensibility', 'Northanger Abber', 'Mansfiled Park' and 'Persuasions'. The originals as I call them were done in the 90's apart form Northanger Abbey which was made in the late 80's.  I've been both pleasantly surprised and also disappointed.


Persuasion 
Surprisingly my utter favorite out of the four. I remember watching it when I was younger and not thinking it had a patch on Pride & Prejudice and it was just really boring. Maybe I've grown up a bit or maybe its because I can relate more to the themes. For those who don't Persuasion it contains themes of; social status been gained by a proffesion, the importance of marriage, class rigidity and people who have more money than sense. Persuasion is different from Austen's novels as the heroine is Anne who is well past a marriageable age of 27 and is not that pretty. She is level headed, practical  and is surrounded by bumbling idiots. Anyway cutting along story short 8 years previous she was 'persuaded' to turn down an offer of marriage from a poor navy officer because he had 'nothing but his charms to recommend him'. 8 years later he is back a very rich captain and ignores Anne for half the book treating her with contempt. I won't spoil the ending but it is very good. Some people think the plot is to simplistic compared to her other works but I love it! Now on to the bbc 1995 version.

I'm afraid I cannot find fault with it. Anne is everything I expected plain, slightly submissive. The actress who plays Anne manages to show her exasperation for her father  without making it look like contempt. When we meet Anne she has resigned herself to help others, has hidden the pain of past disappointment and is just 'getting on with it' without dwelling.  The captain is proud but still engaging enough for you to root for him.
The only tiny tiny niggly thing that we don't get to see is that of the enigmatic Mr Elliot who will inherit Anne's father's fortune when he dies. He barely gets three  scenes. But apart from that it is bliss. (BTW Aunt Petunia is in it too!)










The 2007 version is also very good! The Captain in this adaption is slightly more handsomer if I dare say so myself. Anne is slightly more outspoken but does not veer off from Austen's original outline of Anne. There is more sexual tension in this film more longing looks and heavy sighs. There are also more laughs and the film is of more fast pace. Unfortunately this is not an asset as with so many characters your wondering who is who for quite some time. If I had not read the novel I would have had rewind to try and understand. The best bit is at the end when she has to catch the Captain before  he leaves, you literally scream with frustration as all her relatives descend on her at once demanding her attention. Whilst she is running through Georgian Bath you can't help cheering her along and curse her for being so selfless. The kiss at the end is smoldering *melts*.


Overall for Persuasion the 90's version as well as the 00's version are both excellent so I will declare it a draw.So far  its 1:1. Both versions will sit proudly on my shelf and I will not mind either I watch as they both different in the approach but are still faithful to the novel.